Overview
Large scale reforms to improve infrastructure in the road, railway, maritime, and air transportation sectors of Turkmenistan are underway, though most transport infrastructure, particularly roads, remain underdeveloped. The Commercial Maritime Code of 2008 regulates commercial navigation, and addresses freight transport, transport of passengers and their baggage to a foreign port, emergency operations, and accidents with other ships. In addition, it includes provisions on crew certification, state registration of ships and ship ownership titles, sea traffic control systems, maintenance of seaways, and environmental protection.
Turkmenistan Airlines (TurkmenHowaYollary or THY) is the state-owned air carrier, with a passenger fleet of Boeing aircraft. From 2013-2020 Boeing delivered five new Boeing 737-800 passenger planes to Turkmenistan. According to the National Program for the Development of Civil Aviation of Turkmenistan for the period 2012-2030, the number of new aircraft in THY’s commercial fleet will increase from 20 to 39. In recent years, the government constructed new airports in the cities of Turkmenbashy, Balkanabat, Mary, Turkmenabat, and Kerki, and new runways at the Ashgabat and Dashoguz Airports. Large scale reforms to improve infrastructure in the road, railway, maritime, and air transportation sectors of Turkmenistan are underway, though most transport infrastructure, particularly roads, remain underdeveloped. The government announced in 2019 a plan to construct the 600km long Ashgabat-Turkmenabat highway by 2024. The first portion, between Ashgabat and Tejen has been completed. Road upgrades are badly needed in many parts of the country, including connections between major cities, such as Dashoguz, which are virtually undrivable.
The Uzen–Gyzylgaya–Bereket–Etrek–Gorgan international railway, also known as the North-South Railway (NSR) or the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran Railway, opened in 2014. The NSR connects the Kazakh and Iranian railway systems through Turkmenistan with a junction at Bereket linking to Turkmenistan’s east-west mainline. The railway is expected to transport 10 million tons of goods annually. In November 2016, the Turkmen and Afghan Presidents opened a single-track rail linking Kerki, Turkmenistan, to Aqina, Afghanistan, and a rail link from Serhetabat, Turkmenistan, to Toraghundi, Afghanistan, in February 2018.
In May 2018, Turkmenistan completed the expansion of the international seaport in Turkmenbashy, on the Caspian Sea shore. The new port includes ferry, passenger, and container terminals, as well as ship repair facilities. These new services are intended to increase cargo traffic in the region. The new port has a total annual capacity of 17 million tons of dry cargo, 300,000 passengers, and 75,000 vehicles.
Table: Transportation (No statistics or estimates available):
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Total Local Production | * | * | * | * |
Total Exports | * | * | * | * |
Total Imports | * | * | * | * |
Imports from the US
| * | * | * | * |
Total Market Size | * | * | * | * |
Exchange Rates | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
(total market size = (total local production + imports) - exports)
Leading Sub-sectors
Road, railway and port construction and maintenance consultation services; specialized transportation machinery; and solutions to create logistics centers.
Opportunities
Rail electrification projects (Ashgabat–Turkmenabat line, priority corridor) opportunities include supply of rolling stock & locomotives (diesel-electric, electric locomotives, wagons), signal and control systems modernization (digital rail traffic management), transit hubs & dry ports near borders with Kazakhstan, Iran, Afghanistan.
Maritime Transport (Caspian Sea) opportunities include Turkmenbashy port expansion – additional container handling capacity, fleet modernization – ferries, bulk carriers, and Ro-Ro vessels for Caspian trade, logistics concessions – container yard management, warehousing, cargo terminals, green port initiatives – renewable energy integration, digital port management.
Air Transport and airports opportunities include regional airport upgrades in Mary, Turkmenabat, Dashoguz (runways, terminals), air cargo development – refrigerated storage, express logistics, bonded warehouses, MRO (maintenance, repair & overhaul) services for Boeing/Airbus fleets, airline partnerships – code-sharing, ground handling, catering.
Opportunities in the road transport and highways sector include public-private partnerships (PPPs) for highway construction & toll road management, smart road systems – traffic monitoring, weigh stations, electronic tolling, fleet modernization – eco-friendly buses, electric trucks, fuel-efficient vehicles, roadside services – rest stops, logistics parks, repair stations.
Logistics and transit services opportunities: Free economic zones and logistics hubs near Turkmenbashy seaport and border crossings, customs digitalization and e-logistics platforms – software, automation, AI, cold chain logistics for pharmaceuticals and agriculture, warehousing, 3PL & last-mile delivery services.
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